Torn
by Zarely
Summary: After an experiment with and ancient artifact goes wrong, Shanai is pulled from the Bhaalspawn wars and her friends into a world very different from her own. (I'm horrible at summaries, please read it before you judge)
1. Chapter 1

_**So I've had this idea floating around my head for awhile. I figured I may as well just right it down and publish it. I probably will get some facts wrong, its been a while since I read Howl's Moving Castle. I doubt I'll update that often but I'll do my best. Enjoy.**_

_**Baldur's Gate series and all its material is owned by Bioware not me regretfully All Howl's Moving Castle Stuff belongs to Diana Jones. **_

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Shanai sat on a rock in the pocket plane, gently rubbing a deep cut that had been healed not long ago. Abizigal had been tough. The toughest of her siblings she and her companions had fought so far and many times it seemed like he was about to kill them all with one breath. But they had prevailed, and no one had died. She smiled to herself. Never had she imagined that she and a handful of faithful friends could have fought with and defeated a dragon, or even a half-dragon, without at least one of the mages dying. But no one had. _We're strong, and getting stronger. Maybe eventually I can just be left alone to live my life without the fate of the world hanging over my shoulder._

A noise from off in the corner drew her out of her thoughts. Jan Jansen and Kelsey Coltrane were toying with one of the many arcane artifacts they had gathered from Abizigal's fortress. The illusionist and sorcerer were standing around the object that they had set on another of the protruding rocks, poking at it and sending little bits of magical energy into it every once in a while. Remembering some of the incidents these two had created, one involving some oatmeal, the goodberry spell, a healing potion and an unlucky squirrel that had happened to run by at the wrong moment, she decided it would be best to find out what the two were up to and, if necessary, put a stop to it.

"Ah! Shanai! I was just about to go looking for you!" Jan said as she approached.

"Oh? What is this you two are working on here?" she asked.

"We're not exactly sure," Kelsey said scratching his bright red hair. "It seems incapable of being identified."

Shanai raised an eyebrow at this, "You don't know what it is, what it does, or anything else about it and you're going around poking at it and sending large amounts of magic into it?"

"We never said we don't know what it does!" Jan exclaimed indignantly.

"Well than what does it do?" Shanai said, crossing her arms.

Jan looked around nervously, "Well, ah, we don't know."

"Jan…" She was getting a headache; something that happened quiet often when she tried to have a conversation with Jan.

"You know, this reminds me of a time when my uncle Scratchy and my cousin, well she wasn't really my cousin, she was more of my cousin's aunt's co-"

Shanai held up a hand, "Jan, please… I don't think I can handle a story right now."

"Well, aren't we in quite the mood,"

Shanai sighed. "Would you both not mess with it until we figure out what it is? We don't want you turning yourselves inside out or anything, and Imoen will hold me personally responsible if something happens to you Kelsey. She's not a fun person to have mad at you."

Kelsey smiled, "I know. We'll be careful Shanai don't worry."

"'Nai! C'mere!" Imoen called to her from across the plane.

"Please don't mess with it," Shanai said one more time before heading over to where her half sister was calling her.

Imoen was sitting near a very desperate looking Xan, her arms crossed with a hairbrush in one hand and a comb in the other. When Shanai approached she quickly jumped up and ran over to her. "Nai, tell Xan he should let me play with his hair."

Xan gave her a pleading look. The last time Imoen had decided to play with Xan's hair she had dyed it bright pink and had enchanted it so that whenever he tried to wash out the dye, it would just come back an even brighter shade. Shanai didn't entirely blame the poor elf for wanting to avoid Imoen's play.

"Why don't you go mess with Kelsey's hair? I'm sure the pink would go quite well with his blue robes," Shanai suggested.

"His hair's to short," she said turning to eye Xan's hair again. "And I can't believe you brought that up! That was what two years ago I've changed since then."

"Yes," conceded Shanai, "you have changed. You've grown powerful enough to make the enchantment stick longer."

"Duh!" Imoen said smiling, "Now c'mon! Make him be a sport."

"No Imoen. If he doesn't want, he doesn't have to let you play with his hair. He doesn't even like it when I play with his hair!"

"Fine," Imoen sighed, turning away from them, "be that way. Aerie! Can I ask a favor?"

Xan sighed, a usual occurrence with him, once Imoen had run off to capture the poor, unsuspecting Aerie. "Thank you Shanai. I couldn't convince her on my own that I didn't need my hair tampered with."

Shanai smiled at him, "Well you didn't look _that_ bad with pink hair, actually you looked kind of like a doll I had when I was younger."

"Shanai!" Xan said, shoot Shanai with a horrified expression.

"Oh lighten up Xan!" Shanai said, laughing before kissing his cheek lightly. "You take everything so seriously."

Xan shook his head, "I never know when your being serious or not, Shanai. You confuse and astound me on a regular basis."

"Aw, you're so sweet," Shanai said smiling. She turned slightly and saw Imoen beginning to comb out Aerie's long blonde waves of hair. "Oh dear, poor Aerie. She has no idea what she just consented to."

There was a sudden blinding flash from behind Shanai,, causing the pocketplane to suddenly light up as bright as lightning and the light disappearing just as quickly. Shania spun around to where Jan and Kelsey where. "What did you two do?"

"Nothing!" Kelsey said, backing away from the now glowing artifact. "It just started doing it all on its own!"

A light flashed out towards Shanai, "I told you two not to mess with…" and she disappeared.

Wizard Howl was staring at his most recent acquirement intently. His study of the device led him to believe two things; first, it was half of something, and secondly, he had no idea what it did. He grinned. He was about to find out though.

"I know that grin," said Calcifer from his fireplace. "You're about to do something that will likely end up going badly."

"Have a little faith Calcifer!" Howl said turning to face the fire demon, still grinning. "The merchant I bought this from had had a detailed manual on how to make it work."

Calcifer looked at his friend skeptically, "How to make it work, but not on what it does. Oh this is going to go _so_ well."

The castle's main door swung open and a pretty girl with red hair walked in. "What's not going to go well?" she asked.

"Calcifer is convinced that the experiment I'm about to attempt will go badly. Where's Michael, Sophie? I'll need him for this."

Sophie Jenkins pulled off her coat and hung it on the coat rack beside the door. "He'll be a long in a moment. He was carrying things for me."

A few minutes later, Michael stumbled his way into the castles main room, caring a stack of groceries that had to be at least half his height. Placing the stack on the big kitchen table he turned to Sophie. "Did we _really_need all that? I mean fish? Fish is so gross!"

"Then don't eat it," Sophie shrugged, going over to the bags and sifting through their contents. "Maybe the rest of us will finally have a full meal without you devouring all the food."

Howl placed a hand on his apprentice's shoulder, "I hate to interrupt your two's developing argument, but I need your assistance Michael."

"Yes, master Howl," Michael said turning to aid his teacher.

The pair began their work; following the requirements for the spell very carefully. Preparing the spell, preparing the appropriate herbs and powders and chalking out the correct designs on the floor, all to make sure the magic did as they directed. After about an hour of preparations, the spell was ready.

Sophie, who had been watching all their meticulous preparations warily, chewed on the tips of a lock of her red hair nervously. "You're sure this will be safe Howl?"

Howl turned from his double checking of the spell to look at his small wife's worried face, "Sophie, I've down spells here before and you've never had a problem. Why the sudden nervousness?"

"Because she knows I'm right" Calcifer interrupted. "I just know this is not going to work out well."

"It will be fine." He looked into Sophie's worried eyes. "I promise." He kissed her lightly on the forehead before walking into the center of the chalked design. After a breath, he nodded to Michael who set down the device in the appropriate place.

"Ready?" Howl asked, the eager smile spreading across his face once more.

Michael and Sophie nodded to him.

"Then let's begin!" He closed his eye and began whispering the appropriate words, his hands thrust forwards towards the artifact. At first nothing happened then slowly, it began to glow. First it was hardly a glow but then it grew so bright that Sophie and Michael had to shade their eyes. Then it began to spin faster and faster, till suddenly, a blindingly bright flash lit up the chamber.

"… that." A small girl with pointed ears appeared in the flash and collapsed on the floor.


	2. Chapter 2

**So sorry for being slow to update! I got really behind in schoolwork, and just now had time to finish the last little bit of it. Anyway, sorry for the delay and grammatical/spelling errors. I don't own Howl's Moving Castle or Baldur's Gate series.**

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Howl, Sophie, and Michael all stared opened mouthed at the girl laying on the castle floor. "I told you," Calcifer said from his fireplace. "I told you something would go wrong, and now look. You've brought someone from another plane here."

"Not now Calcifer!" Sophie said rushing over and kneeling down by the collapsed girl. "Howl, mover her on to the couch. Michael, help him."

"Sophie, I don't think-"

Sophie looked directly in to the eyes of her husband, "Howl, just do it. Now."

Taken aback by his normally soft-spoken wife's directness, Howl immediately did as directed.

Howl scowled at the girl after depositing her on the couch, "Sophie look at her, look at her weapons. She could be dangerous at least let me put a restraining spell on her."

"Howl-"

"Sophie, I am doing this, for your protection if nothing else." She was going o resolute on something, so was he.

Sophie glared at her husband for a moment but soon gave in with a sigh, "You're probably right."

A moment later the spell was in place. Sophie sat beside the girl for the better part of an hour, carefully scrutinizing her new houseguest. "I think she's a witch, Howl. She has stains along her fingers from spell components at least."

Howl grunted in response, lounging in a chair beside Calcifer where he could keep an eye on his wife and the girl. "A fighter to though, look at the armor she's in, and the weapons."

Sophie's held tilted to the side and her eyes grew softer, "The poor thing, she must be so uncomfortable in all that gear. Howl will you help me get it off her? Maybe she'll be more comfortable then."

Sophie leaned over the girls chest and started her gently finger to work on the fine greenish armor's strap nearest the neck. Suddenly she was turned and a sharp knife was pressed to her throat.

Howl sprang to his feet, green magic crackling to life on his readied hands. "Let go of my wife," He said thorough gritted teeth.

The girl narrowed her green eyes, still not letting go of the frozen Sophie Jenkins. "Your were an idiot not to kill me right away. What did you think your were going to do with one of the last Bhaalspawn anyway? Did you really think my _dear_ siblings would actually pay those bounties on me?" Her brow furrowed. "How did you get me here anyway?"

"You think we kidnapped you?" Michael said.

"Well I don't think I just walked here," she said, her eyes never leaving the still enraged Howl's face.

"Howl wait a second," Calcifer said lowering himself down from his bonfire state. "I've heard about these 'Bhaalspawn' and if she's one of the last of them, you might not want to be messing with her."

"What are you talking about Calcifer" Howl asked, his hand lowering slightly.

Ignoring the wizard, Calcifer looked at the girl, his fiery brow narrowed slightly before saying, "Your Shanai aren't you?"

"Knowing who I am isn't that astounding, but tell your wizard friend to quit threatening me and the woman here can go. I don't want to hurt anyone. I just want to get back to my friends."

"Howl," Calcifer said quiet enough that only the wizard beside him could hear what he was saying," She is practically _the_ most powerful of her kind. I mean the fate of her world hangs on her decisions and actions. She isn't someone you want on your bad side." In a more hushed tone, "There are some people even you can't fight Howl, some battles we won't win."

"Listen to your little fire friend wizard. I don't want to cause any harm."

Howl stared into the girl's piercing green gaze for a moment longer before lowering his hands and slowly releasing his hold on the magic. As he did the girl released Sophie and she fell to the floor gasping for breath and clutching at her throat where the dagger had been.

The girl got up and gently helped Sophie to her feet, frightening off Michael with a well placed glare. "I'm sorry I did that," she said to Sophie. "You seem like a good person."

Sophie nodded; her forgiving heart to large and kind for her own good Howl had once told her. "I understand,"

"Do you?" The girl said quietly, her face suddenly seeming very sad and dark.

Sophie raised an eyebrow but the girl just shook her head.

"Well, I beg your forgiveness for such a horrible first impression." The girl said smiling, the moment of bleak, dark, depression gone from her features. "I believe introductions are in order. I am Shanai Gorionsward; and to be honest it's quiet refreshing to not have people recognizing me, or trying to kill me on sight for that matter."

Howl, still rightfully suspicious of the stranger in his home, and so readily warming up to his beloved wife, crossed his arms. "And why, pray tell, would people be trying to kill you?"

Her smile actually broadened, which was greatly disturbing to Howl, "Well," she laughed, "we certainly aren't in Faerun now are we?"

"Where?" Michael asked, the boy was nothing if not resilient, then again to be Howl's apprentice, he had to be.

"It's my home," he smile faded, "or at least it was. Its no longer the beautiful place it once was." _The rivers will run red with the blood of those spilt in the wars of the Children… _She shook her head as if trying to clear her mind of the thoughts plaguing her and then looked up, a smile again plastered on to her face. "And what of you four?"

Sophie smiled brightly, "I'm Sophie Jenkins. Or Sophie Pendragon." She giggled, "It really depends on the occasion. The wizard here is my husband, The Great Wizard Howl. The boy-"

"I'm not a boy, Sophie!" Michael exclaimed indignantly. He bowed before Shanai, "My name is Michael, apprentice to Howl."

She smiled at him, "Charmed, I'm sure."

"I'm Calcifer, a fire demon."

She nodded, "A pleasure. Now, if you don't mind my asking, Howl, Sophie, Michael, and Calcifer, how in the world did I get here?"

Xan stared, his jaw slack, at the spot where Shanai had been standing just a moment ago. He whipped around to the equally dumbstruck Kelsey and Jan. "What did you two do?"

Kelsey shook his head and spread his hands, not able to speak.

Jaheria came up from behind Xan, her face demonstrating equal rage to his, and pointed an accusing finger at Jan, "You did something didn't you? You and your, your turnips! I swear, if I find even one of those accursed vegetables I'll –"

"Jaheira!" Aerie was suddenly between the gnome and the half-elf. "How will yelling at Jan help Shanai? We need to all call down and focus on getting her back here safely."

Jaheria folded her arms and continued to glare at Jan for a moment before sighing, "Your right."

Looking from one pair to the next Aerie said, "Okay, now, Kelsey, did you feel anything when that Shanai disappeared?"

Kelsey tilted his head in thought, "I did feel a large pull of magic. At first I thought that someone was somehow attacking the pocket plane so I did my best to shield myself. But now that I think about it kinda felt like a dimension door being opened, but the magic drawn from it was much greater than the amount required for the spell normally."

Aerie nodded, "Okay that might mean something. Jan, what about you?"

"Well," Jan said stroking his beard thoughtfully, "I can't say I felt anything our sorcerous friend, but what he did say reminds me of something. One time, years and years ago, my great-uncle Lorbin –"

"Jan," Aerie said glancing at the face of the short-tempered Jaheira, "Now is not the time for a story."

Jan held out a hand, "Fine, fine I'll skip to the point. If you have the right knowledge, the right amount of magical energy, the right conduit (turnips work the best, but noooo) it is possible to open a door to another plane, or world"

"Your saying that it's possible she's not even on Toril anymore?" Imoen said openmouthed.

Xan held his face in his hands, "She's never coming back…"

"Not helping, enchanter," Jaheria said irritably.

"Jaheira, he's just upset. Be nice," said Aerie. "Alright, so we think she has traveled to another plane. So we need someone who has knowledge on planar travel. And I know just the person."


End file.
